The Best Clownfish Tank Mates for a Community Tank

Share this post:

There’s a good chance that you’re interested in keeping clownfish in your home aquarium. You might be worried about whether things will work out or not, though.

If your intention is to set up a really nice community tank, then you might not be sure if your clownfish will fit in. The truth is that clownfish can be excellent community tank members, but you have to pick their tank mates carefully.

Having good luck with a community tank is all about researching compatibility. Some fish will be totally incompatible with clownfish, but others are going to do great.

Continue reading to learn about picking the best clownfish tank mates. This will help you to build the community tank of your dreams while ensuring that your clownfish will remain as happy as possible.

Are Blue Tangs Compatible with Clownfish?

Blue Tang fish should be able to be kept in the same fish tank as clownfish. However, you’ll need to know some things before deciding to buy a Blue Tang for your community tank.

The first thing to know is that these fish are kind of big. They can grow to be up to twelve inches in length.

Also, they truly love to swim. You can’t put these types of fish in small tanks since they won’t be happy.

It’s recommended to buy a 100-gallon fish tank or larger when you plan to buy Blue Tang fish. They should get along very well with larger types of clownfish such as Maroon clownfish.

Are Seahorses Compatible with Clownfish?

Seahorses should not be kept in the same aquarium as clownfish. They’re too slow and they would wind up having a hard time getting food.

These fish need to be fed very frequently, but they’re not going to be able to compete with the clownfish. If you’re interested in caring for seahorses, then it’d be better to do so in a separate fish tank.

When you try to keep seahorses in the same aquarium as clownfish, the seahorses will quickly become stressed. It’ll lead to health issues, and that’s something that you don’t want to occur.

Anemones

Various types of anemones will be compatible with clownfish. You might already know that clownfish are capable of forming symbiotic relationships with anemones.

Clownfish have a thick mucus layer that makes them immune to the stings of the anemones. It has allowed them to host anemones so that they can live together.

They wind up having a mutually beneficial relationship. Anemones protect the clownfish by stinging and killing predators, and clownfish will aggressively chase off small fish that are capable of getting past its defenses.

If you want to have an anemone in your community tank, then you’ll need to have the right setup. These creatures require specific types of lighting, and they also need to be placed in properly established tanks.

Do your best to keep all of this in mind before deciding if keeping an anemone will be practical in your situation. Also, it’s good to look up which types of anemones are compatible with specific types of clownfish.

This simply ensures that you will get the best results. Having an anemone in your tank with the clownfish should help them to feel much more secure overall.

Hammer Coral

Hammer corals can be put in fish tanks with clownfish as well. In some cases, the clownfish might even decide to host the hammer coral.

The thick mucus of the clownfish will help to protect it from the stings of the hammer coral. Note that the hammer coral might take some time to warm up to the clownfish, though.

Things don’t go as smoothly as they do when clownfish try to host anemones. The relationship can still work out, but it doesn’t always happen.

Regardless, it’s good to know that you can keep hammer corals in the same tank as clownfish. This could be a fun addition to your community tank if you’re looking for something besides fish.

Blennies

Blennies will be awesome tank mates for clownfish. They sort of look like small eels, but unlike eels, they get along with clownfish.

You can find these interesting little fish in many different colors. Being able to choose from colors such as black, silver, orange, yellow, and brown will give you plenty of options to consider.

They hang out near the bottom of the fish tank. You’ll need to have either sand substrate or gravel in your community fish tank if you plan to care for these fish.

Since they’re only going to be about three inches long, they’ll likely be some of the tiniest fish in your community fish tank. They’re very inexpensive fish to purchase, and this helps when you’re trying to keep your costs to a minimum while still having a variety of fish in the aquarium.

Goby Fish

Goby fish are pretty small since they only reach around two inches in length at maturity. Even so, they can be good tank mates for clownfish.

They’re considered to be “cleaning fish.” They go around cleaning their surroundings and will even sometimes clean larger fish.

It’s also nice that they look really good in a community tank. You can get these fish in different colors, and this means that it should be easy to find a goby fish type that will appeal to you.

Firefish

Firefish can be found in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. They grow to be about four inches long at maturity.

They’re known for being able to get along with clownfish well enough in a community tank setting. They will need you to put protections in place, though.

It’s recommended that you have plenty of rocks, decorations, and plants in the tank to make them feel safe. If you put in the effort, then these fish can be good additions to a community aquarium.

Butterflyfish

Butterflyfish are worth noting because they look so unique. Many saltwater aquarium enthusiasts find these fish to be great additions to community fish tanks.

They have a different type of look and they come in several different colors. At maximum growth, the fish should wind up being just a bit under nine inches in length.

The only potential downside to choosing this fish will be that you’ll need a somewhat large aquarium. These fish require a 75-gallon fish tank at the smallest.

If you have room for a fairly large community aquarium, then there’s a good chance that you’ll really like these fish. Check them out and see if they will be what you want in your new saltwater tank.

Pygmy Angelfish

Pygmy angelfish are some of the best possible tank mates for clownfish. Clownfish get along very nicely with several different types of saltwater angelfish.

The Pygmy angelfish works out so well because it’s pretty much the same size as a clownfish. This works out well because larger angelfish might be a little too aggressive for the clownfish.

It’s also nice that this type of angelfish is very pretty. You’re going to love how nice it looks in your aquarium.

These fish should feed on algae as well as sponges. So long as you buy the right type of food preparations, it should be relatively simple to care for Pygmy angelfish.

Chromis Damselfish

You may or may not know that clownfish are types of damselfish themselves. Often, you won’t be able to put two types of damselfish in the same tank.

This is because damselfish can be very aggressive toward each other. For example, clownfish don’t get along with other types of clownfish.

Chromis damselfish should be able to be put in a community fish tank with clownfish. These are schooling fish that have a very peaceful temperament.

They’re much different than many other types of damselfish. They’re a bit on the small side, and you’ll need to keep them in schools of four to six.

You’ll have some color options to consider as well. Green Chromis damselfish can reach four inches in length while Red Chromis damselfish will be capable of growing larger than five inches in length.

Pseudochromis

The Pseudochromis is an acceptable tank mate for clownfish only under the right conditions. You must have a large fish tank so that this fish won’t bother your clownfish.

Otherwise, it’s not going to work out. This should be considered to be an option that you need to be prepared for in order to make things work out.

It’s said that you can keep up to three of these fish in a community tank with clownfish. If there is sufficient room, then it should work out well.

Banggai Cardinalfish

The Banggai cardinalfish is a very intriguing type of fish that will get along well with clownfish. This is another pretty type of fish that will not bother the clownfish at all.

It can be a somewhat aggressive fish, but these fish stay away from clownfish. It could have problems with anemones, though.

Some have kept this fish in tanks that have anemones and not encountered problems, though. It’s just recommended to keep a hiding spot for this fish that is near the edge of the tank.

Basslet Fish

Basslet fish should work out swimmingly in a community tank that contains clownfish. These are extremely peaceful fish that will leave the clownfish alone.

Despite its peaceful nature, it can get territorial. These fish like to live in caves or little hiding places in fish tanks.

Since clownfish don’t occupy caves, the two types of fish will never come into conflict. Just ensure that you have a nice cave or hiding spot for the Basslet fish and they will be very happy in your aquarium.

It’s also notable that these fish enjoy subdued lighting. Since they need this type of lighting, they might not be a good choice if you want to add a sea anemone to the tank.

Some people really want to pair clownfish with anemones so that they can show off that symbiotic relationship. If that’s the case for you, then you’ll want to avoid Basslet fish.

Yellow Tangs

Yellow Tangs will be very good tank mates for clownfish. These fish are actually fairly aggressive and territorial.

That might make you think that they would be a poor match for a community aquarium that contains clownfish. However, they don’t really seem to go after clownfish.

Yellow Tangs are known to not get along with other tang-like fish. They’ll be able to get along well even with aggressive clownfish such as the Maroon clownfish.

If you’re going to take care of these fish, then remember that they need plenty of greens in their diet. Spirulina flakes will be very good for these fish.

Red Coris Wrasse

The Red Coris Wrasse is going to be a pretty big fish when it’s fully grown. It could wind up being one foot long when all is said and done, but most will wind up reaching eight inches.

Clownfish should be able to live with several different types of wrasses. Wrasses have a semi-aggressive temperament, and that makes them a good tank mate for the aggressive clownfish.

It’s also nice to know that this fish can thrive in both reef tanks and tanks that only have fish in them. So it gives you good options to consider when looking into other tank mates for the clownfish.

The fact that these fish are interesting to look at helps to make them one of the best choices for a community tank. They’ll add some color to the tank while also being able to get along well with many other fish.

Dartfish

Dartfish are going to be good tank mates for many different types of fish. They’re generally quite peaceful, but they will sometimes fight with other dartfish.

They’re a good size to get along with many types of clownfish. You can expect these fish to reach about four inches in length once they’re mature.

These fish won’t be good tank mates for Maroon clownfish or Tomato clownfish, though. Those specific types of clownfish are too aggressive for dartfish.

Standard clownfish such as Ocellaris clownfish and True Percula clownfish will work out fantastically, though. You’ll like having dartfish in your community aquarium because they look really nice and they’re pretty easy to care for.

Mandarin Dragonet

The Mandarin Dragonet is a gorgeous fish that you might wind up falling in love with. It should be able to get along with your clownfish in a community tank setting, too.

This is mostly because these two fish occupy completely different parts of the aquarium. Mandarin Dragonets are known to creep along the bottom of the fish tank looking for copepods.

Of course, this means that you’ll need to keep these fish in a mature reef tank. If you plan to put these fish in a community tank, then you’ll need to avoid putting fish in the tank that aren’t considered to be reef-safe.

These are very peaceful fish that will add beauty to your community aquarium. They’re a bit difficult to care for, though, and this might mean that they won’t be a good choice for beginners.

Don’t Overcrowd the Fish Tank

It’s imperative to be mindful of how crowded the fish tank is. If you try to put too many fish in the aquarium, then you’re not going to have a good experience.

Do your best to only add as many fish as you can reasonably fit in the tank. It would be prudent to look up some information about each fish and how much space they need to thrive.

This will give you a good idea of how large your community tank should be. If you don’t have room for a very large community aquarium, then you’ll want to hold back on the number of fish that you add to the tank.

It would be much better to have a tank with fewer fish if they’re all able to live happily. Overcrowding a fish tank will lead to significant issues with stress.

When fish get stressed, it makes it so that they will get sick easier. Stressed fish develop compromised immune systems, and this can wind up being a truly bad thing.

You should also know that fish will be more likely to fight over territory if they don’t feel that they have enough space. So long as you’re mindful of this, it should be simple enough to avoid such problems.

Remember to Research Every Fish That You Want to Add

Taking the time to research each type of fish that you add to the community fish tank will be important. Failure to do so could lead to various problems that you don’t want to have to deal with.

For example, you might find that some of the fish that you choose to put in the tank won’t like each other. You have to consider whether the fish that get along fine with clownfish will also get along with each other.

There will be a lot of research that you will need to do when setting up a community tank. You need to make sure that all of the fish get along so that you don’t wind up having a chaotic aquarium.

Also, you must take into account the water parameters that each fish requires. Sometimes things might not match up properly, and this will mean that some fish might not be able to be added to the community tank.

So long as you’re doing your best to get this information, it’ll be easy to make good choices. You just have to take your time to learn everything that you need to know first.

Many people get too excited about setting the community fish tanks up. They wind up moving too quickly and they make various mistakes because of this.

Slow things down and be sure that you have everything figured out before moving forward. It’ll make it more likely that you’ll have a good experience caring for your community aquarium.

Final Thoughts

Learning a lot about what types of fish can be put in fish tanks with clownfish should help you out. Now you know that you have many different types of tank mates to consider.

There are many fish that will get along fantastically well with clownfish in a community tank setting. You do need to be careful to pick the right fish to avoid having issues, though.

Some fish might wind up being too large and dangerous for the clownfish to handle. For example, lionfish might wind up preying on the clownfish if you try to keep them in the same tank.

The aggressive nature of the clownfish might make them bad choices to be paired with certain types of fish, too. They’re territorial fish, and this means that you need to pick fish that will leave them alone and occupy different parts of the aquarium.

Thankfully, you’ll have so many choices that will work out great. You can put various types of wrasses in the tank with clownfish, and some of them are going to be quite colorful.

Certain types of damselfish can work out, too. You do need to be careful with this, though, since many types of damselfish won’t be appropriate.

Blennies are going to work out very well in community tanks with clownfish. Dartfish should also be some of the best options that you can consider.

Of course, you can put different types of anemones in the fish tank with clownfish. Clownfish and anemones have symbiotic relationships, and it can be very interesting to observe this relationship in a community aquarium setting.

Even hammer corals can be put in the same tank as clownfish. There have been instances where clownfish have successfully hosted hammer corals in fish tanks.

Take your time to pick out the right fish and marine creatures for your fish tank. You’ll be able to find the right options that will make your community fish tank everything that you want it to be.

Be sure to care for all of the fish in the aquarium properly while keeping an eye on the water parameters. So long as you’re a proactive fish tank owner, things are likely to go very well.

Share this post: